Peace of Provence

The quote on the Moulin du Jardinier website says it all, "from film sets to the peace of Provence."   The English director of Dr. Zhivago, Sir David Lean fell in love with the 15th-century stone house and restored it and the gardens for his family.  After his death, a young Danish couple bought it from his widow and further updated the old mill house to include a heated pool and even WiFi. They now rent it out so you too can get away from it all.  At $17,000 per week you may not be able to stay a year in Provence like Peter Mayle.  But since it sleeps nine people, you could split the cost for a fun holiday in the South of France.  I'm tempted to recruit eight friends for a holiday.  Anyone care to join me?

Floral Park Apremont-sur-Allier

Second post for you today.

Floral Park Apremont-sur-Allier, in France, is simply breathtaking. Open to the public in 1977, it receives around 40,000 annual visitors. Here is part of the story behind it.

As a teenager, Gilles de Brissac visited England and and was spellbound by its wonderful gardens. At the end of the summer of his fifteenth birthday, Gilles returned to France and started passionately to restructure the gardens of the family castle in the Chevreuse Valley, under the watchful eye of his mother May, Duchesse de Brissac. Continuing his training, especially alongside Russell Page and Charles de Noailles, and perfecting his taste by visiting gardens around the world, Gilles becomes a professional landscape gardener.

Thirty years later, he became a landscape painter, and created one of the most beautiful parks in France.

Until his death in 2002, Gilles de Brissac continued refining his work. Today, the torch was taken over by his sister, Elvira.






The pergola is covered with white, fragrant clusters of wisteria, Wisteria floribunda 'Alba'.









Photography by Patrick Smith.
All images and information from here.

A lovely weekend to you my friends!

Escape Plan

Instead of preparing to hole up at home in New York to ride out hurricane Irene, I wish I had high tailed it out of town.  I also wish America had the entire month of August off like all of France.  If we did, my dream would be to enjoy the pastoral pleasures of a place like Château de Fontenay. It was decorated by Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi who did such a great job, that I don't think I would change a thing.  It's perfect.  And even more so because they don't get hurricanes in France. Hope everyone has a safe weekend!

Photographed by Tim Beddow for Architectural Digest

Old Country House in France

Today, dears, I invite you to see this restored country house located in Orleans, a city in north-central France. It was built during the sixteenth century, and its owners preserved most of the original architectural features.



























































Photography by Sophie Lloyd

All images from here.